ALIENATURA

THE TEMPLARS ARE BACK !

After about 3 years, and a lot of disappointing circumstances, our bold Templars are back with a great new release and a new singer.

"alieNatura" is a word which includes in it the terms "alieno" (alien in english) and "natura" (nature in english). The meaning of this strange new word is: "we continue to think we can manage Nature's power, but there will be a future when Nature will take its advantage on human errors". And really the whole mood of the album is pervaded by this kind of pathos.

What is immediatly clear by listening the album is that the main composers Elisa Montaldo and Fabio Gremo are grown. They have more confidence with their ability to transpose in music their feelings and sensations and we can enjoy it! But also the other founder members of the band Giulio Canepa and Paolo Tixi have reached more powerful expressivity and this is best reflected on the whole album.

The new singer Francesco Ciapica needs to be treated apart. It was not so simple to substitute such an icon of RPI as 'Lupo' Galifi (who has recently reformed Museo Rosenbach with a new release) and honesty, when you listen to Francesco's warm tune for the very first time you may be a litle disappointed. But Francesco's great acting power, added with his powerful vocal extension, makes the miracle possible!

The album opens with the instrumental surprising "Kaze (ciò che il vento porta con sè)" (Kaze - what the wind takes away and brings wit it), with that wind blowing, the classic guitar and the smell of oriental sounds which leave the stage to a powerful and captivating riff which we will find another time at the end of the album.

As before mentioned when Francesco starts to sing in "Senza Colori" (without colors) you may be a bit surprised by his vocal tune, but immediatly he gives shivers with his intense vocalism.

The album flows with great moments in the RPI manner, with the Elisa's sublime touch on the keyboards, the Fabio's powerful bass patterns well supported by the instincitive and sophisticated Paolo's drumming, and the limpid energy of Giulio's guitars, finding its best in "Onirica Possessione" (Oniric Possession) and the final suite "Il Cacciatore" (The Hunter).

While "Il Cacciatore" is more confident with the aims of RPI, and develops as an epic one, with its solemnity and powerful instrumental parts, "Onirica Possessione" needs a discussion apart because, on the astonishing and in some cases surprising musical carpet, Francesco plays his best jumping up and down with his vocal extension. But this is only the basic part, because the power of the track is in the alternating vocalism from the Francesco's one, first warm and passionated and then leading to craziness, to the Elisa's one, first a bit mocking and pompous and then edgy and acid! Really a dramatic, intense and beautiful track! We may say that if "Il Cacciatore" is the album pearl, "Onirica Possessione" is the diamond one!

Il Tempio delle Clessidre is an RPI keyboard oriented band, just like the great Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso. And there's a lot of echoes of Banco's music, especially in the keyboards work and in the guitar tuning. But Banco had also a great acting singer as Francesco Di Giacomo, who didn't only sing the songs, but also interpretate them. Maybe <ì> Il Tempio has found its own "Francesco" and we hope they can reach the highest as their predecessors!

4 Stars, not less.

Sometimes music really makes me happy, for exemple when I listen to Beatles, Genesis or Caravan and this morning when I discovered the Italian group Il tempio delle Clessidre. The band comes from Genova in Liguria and has been around since 2006. They made theri first record 2010 and now 2013 they released "Alienatura" which is their second one. As often when I hear music in this subgenre I didn't get disappointed with this one. The cover is colourful and exciting even if the picture here at ProgOrchives isn't sharp enough. The record features Elisa Montaldo(voice, keyboards, piano, organ, concertina), Giulio Canepa(guitars), Paolo Tixi (drums), Fabio Gremo (bass) and Francesco Ciapica(voice).

The full album is totally lovely. It starts with "Kaze(Ciò che il vento porta con sé)"(10/10) which is vital, unique and exciting. It happens so much in this music and the world seems to be so rich in instruments and colours. "Senza colori"(9/10) proves the vocalist is competent and I love the organ and guitar. "Il passo" (10/10) is a lovely symphonic piece and very varied and "Fino alla vetta"(8/10) is almost as good. "Onirica Possessione"(10/10) has a curious and very exciting sound. "Notturna" has feminine vocals and is lovely sung(9/10). The closer "Il Cacciatore" (10/10) is also one of the best tracks. You can't be tired of it when it happens new intriguing things all the time.

When the music contains everything I want with music I can't let it pass away without screaming out that I love it. When don't understanding Italian one can almost just image what they're singing about, but they're doing it very well. It's perfect they are singing in Italian, it's so weird when people from outside Britain or USA sings in English. I totally love the English language but why let that love kill the love for all the other languages. This is one of 2013's best records so far. Very recommended and five stars!

Back in 2010 I was blown away by the debut album of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre. Not only did I consider it the best Italian prog album of the year but also my favourite album of the year overall. Three years later and they're back with Alienatura, another brilliant piece of work. Since their debut vocalist Stefano "Lupo" Galifi has jumped ship and returned to Museo Rosenbach to be replaced by Francesco Ciapica. His register is lower but after some initial reservations I've come round to the conclusion that he's an inspired chice. Thankfully the rest of this highly talented band remains from the debut.

Alienatura doesn't show any great leaps stylistically but if it ain't broke why fix it? It's a natural successor to their eponymous debut containing similarly beautifully crafted symphonic prog. The sound is rich, warm and full with some incredibly powerful moments alongside the more reflective elements. After a few plays the sometimes subtle and complex melodies really grab you. It's not always immediate but persevere and you'll be rewarded with a fantastic body of work. Like their debut it's a very cohesive album with excellent musicianship from all with the keyboard work of the beautiful and incredibly talented Elisa Montaldo particularly shining through. They save the best until last - the powerful and dynamic Il Cacciatore almost reaching fifteen minutes encapsulates everything that's great about this band in one song.

It seems impossible to review an Italian prog band without comparing them to the golden seventies period. Il Tempio Delle Clessidre proved on their debut that they could match the best of it. With their follow up they prove it was no flash in the pan. Alienatura might not blow me away as much as their debut did but it's not far short. They are easily my favourite of the new wave of RPI bands. 4 ½ stars.

Il Tempio Delle Clessidre is an Italian band formed in 2006 in the Genoa city. The band initially had Stefano 'Lupo' Galifi (original vocalist from Museo Rosenbach), but after the departure of Stefano that went band to reunite with his former band they convened Francesco Ciapica for his place. The rest of the band is still the same, Elisa Montaldo (keyboards and vocals), Fabio Gremo (bass), Giulio Canepa (guitars) and Paolo Tixi (drums). The band have released their second album AlieNatura (2013) by Black Widow Records earlier this year.

Black Widow is a specialized label which pretty much focuses on what I like to call 'dark Prog'. If you have no idea what I'm talking about I'll make it easier for you: Gothic influenced Prog. This is their specialty.

I started my listening with the nice booklet in hands and when the opening track 'Kaze' begins one can hear strong and well recorded music out of the speakers. This makes you sit down and pay attention immediately. The Japanese sounds that come out of the track are quite hypnotic. The moment of truth comes with the following song 'Senza Colori', the first track of AlieNatura (2013) with vocals. As I mentioned, the Gothic and somber moments are all around here, but at the same time the band has a strong root on the Symphonic Italian style too.

The continuation, 'Il Passo', is even more atmospheric and full of little details. Its Symphonic apex lies on the double guitars and a number of great keyboards. Amazing track! The acoustic 'Fino Alla Vetta' is the next piece of music. It's basically a ballad with acoustic guitars till around the 3rd minute of the song. After that it gets a bit heavier, especially because of the organs of Elisa Montaldo. That's when it gets really interesting.

'Onirica Possessione' is a damn strong track! Classic Genesis meets Italian 70's Prog at its best moments. Powerful vocals melodies by Francesco Ciapica and the Symphonic side of Prog Rock speaking really loud. One of the best tracks of the AlieNatura (2013). Weird last part though! 'Notturna' is a smaller interlude with a nature kind of feeling to it, basically commanded by keyboards and Elisa vocals. Beautiful piece of music!

The last track on the album is an almost 15 minutes suite with 5 parts called 'Il Cacciatore'. This last song is full of heavy guitars riffs and grim keyboards, that's how it starts really. It's great how they used the vocals between the verses. It helps create a really powerful mood in their music. 'Il Cacciatore' is all about changes and beautiful yet melancholic music. You have to listen with attention but still, you will bang your head with the riffs!

Il Tempio Delle Clessidre came as a big surprise to me as I didn't listen their debut album and knew nothing about them. Now I can honestly say that AlieNatura (2013) is one of the most powerful releases of the year! Perfect musicianship, great production and songwriting with a fresh sound. The album is powerful and melodic at the same time as the great Prog albums should be!

Progshine recommends it!

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

This is the second album by Il Tempio Delle Clessidre, following on from their debut in 2010. Since then they have gained a new singer, but I haven't heard the previous album so can't comment as to what impact he has had to the sound. What I do know, is that I am going to have to go back and search out the debut as yet again this is a superb release from Black Widow. At just under an hour long, this brings together orchestration and harmony in a way this definitely reminiscent of the early Seventies Italian Prog Scene, along with early Genesis, but somehow brought up to date with some driving guitar although the mellotron is never too far away. As well as the main lead male vocal, their keyboard player Eliza also has a fine voice which allows the band to totally change the scene when they wish to.

The album commences with the sound of wind and gentle acoustic guitar and percussion before moving into a much more Oriental feel, which is actually at musical odds with what follows but somehow sets the scene very nicely indeed. 'Alienatura' is in itself a word that the band have invented themselves to describe the intersection of the words alien and nature. This is very much a complete piece of work, again hearkening back to the early Seventies, where the album art is very much part of the complete picture. Here Nature is depicted ripping a curtain and invading the homes and villages while the lyrics tell how we often forget our bond with nature.

So, a complete piece of work, and even though it is hard for the non-Italian speaker to understand the full concept without notes, there is so much going on that this is a sheer delight from start to end. If you enjoy classic prog, whatever the form or language, then this is something that you ought to seek out. www.blackwidow.it

AlieNatura is Italian progressive rock at its best. Reading the biography of Il Tempio delle Clessidre you asume their music will be something between Museo Rosenbach and Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, and yes you are quite right but that is not all, there is a lot more to be excited about this band.

An album about how humanity looses their bond with nature is a great concept, I really like finding albums such as alieNatura where the work that has been done is very serious, not only music wise but concept and lyric wise. The cover art is also pretty good.

Elisa Montaldo as a keyboardist, vocalist and founder of the band has been an interesting discovery to me, I do not know many progressive rock female leaders, I am not being sexist, its a fact when it comes to my collection and It made me search for more bands driven by a female musician.

Other reviewers already pointed that the job Francesco Ciapica (replacement for vocals) isn't the best but nonetheless is quite impressive, I think that if the band progresses into mixing Francesco and Elisa vocal sections with more parity the result will be more than satisfactory. I have listened to "Il Centro Sottile" and I enjoyed alieNatura a lot more and even after reading specialists and collaborators reviews I still think that alieNatura is better.

Guitars and drums sounds VERY 70's but what is great about this is that keyboards on the other hand sounds modern; mastering nowadays permits electronic sounds to blend a lot better with guitars than it used to be in the past so I am happy to be able to grasp a sound from the past "updated" to 2014!

Highly Recommended!

Here is a band from Genova that addresses the test of the second album, the Italian progressive rock's golden registered in his genes ... (sic). With alieNatura, has Il Tempio Delle Clessidre managed the same feat that with their surprising debut album in 2010? The band of Elisa Montaldo (keyboards) and Fabio Gremo, the 2 main songwriters, has been joined by a new singer to replace our biggest regret veteran Stefano "Lupo" Galifi (formerly Museo Rosenbach ). alieNatura is the album of the change, but this change is letting us doubtful! The young singer Francesco Ciapica doesn't leave us indifferent, but despite a stamp similar to that of voice Lupo, it seems too inexperienced and too used to achieve proper tone, emotion, ease, fluency in risk-taking, and the subtle intensity of its predecessor. Another disappointment: Elisa, who signed explosively half of the compositions of the first album, (e.g. the excellent "Danza Di NNatura Esoterica" and "Faldistorium"), here seems less involved (she has only brought three titles for a total of 20 minutes, too small for my taste), including at the level of orchestration and keyboards arrangements, less varied than before (many harmonies on piano and Hammond organ, few synth solos ). Besides this, she seems more interested in singing, accompaniment or soloist ("Onirica Possessione"). Perhaps less involved but especially less inspired: at any time, songs reaches the exceptional level of her brilliant "Antodoto Sottile" in 2010. Posing on the photo as a enthusiast young priestess of the god Pan, Elisa has beautiful reminders of how the esoteric aspect of nature draws ("Onirica Possessione" between pagan and gothic Sabbath carousel, à la Tim Burton), but musically Elisa has more trouble convincing us. His "Notturna" solo piano, yet short enough (2:30), is charming even partially missed, bringing too little emotion and mystery. Fortunately, the true revelation of this album is the perfect Fabio Gremo whose compositions have gained relevance in Beauty (crafted melodies on "Fino Alla Vetta") and complexity. Gremo starts by surprising us in the introduction ("Kaze") who looks like playing by a young Japanese group, quite far from progressive music sponge cake. Continuing with a tempo between Ange at his best and the dark bolted metal Black Sabbath ("Senza Colori"). And culminating in the achievement of the final bravery piece, a fantastic epic ride "Il Cacciatore" (14:50), driven by the singer who finally seems to have filled gaps and adjusted its approximations, traversed by a huge organ Hammond solo, leaving the way for an exquisite concert piano piece (wonderful arpeggios, a real piano lesson), where we finally found the great Elisa Montaldo. Mainly due to the compositions of Gremo and talent of the musicians, alieNatura remains a globally successful album and enjoyable but with one or two tracks below the precedent. Tirelessly, as the sand slipping away in the precious hourglass, I will await the next album with tenfold increase by the slight disappointment due to alieNatura.

Alienatura is the second album by Il Tempio delle Clessidre and was released in 2013 on the independent label Black Widow Records with a renewed line up featuring Elisa Montaldo (keyboards, vocals), Fabio Gremo (bass, classical guitar, backing vocals), Giulio Canepa (electric and acustic guitar, backing vocals), Paolo Tixi (dums, backing vocals) and Francesco Ciapica (vocals). After the excellent eponymous debut album, the old vocalist Lupo Galifi left the band to join the reformed Museo Rosenbach and Francesco Ciapica stepped in proving that in Italy there's no shortage of excellent singers. All the good qualities of the band's previous album are confirmed here, the overall sound is a wonderful mix of vintage sounds and new ideas and all the compositions are convincing and well performed. Somehow the beautiful art cover by Alessandro Sala depicts in a very effective way the content of the music and lyrics inviting you to wander under the moon, looking for the right balance between your every day life and an alien nature that the contemporary society can't understand.

The beautiful opener "Kaze" sets the atmosphere. It's an instrumental track with a touch of exotic mysticism where you can hear lost, distant sounds and voices still blowing in the wind. In fact, kaze is a Japanese word that means wind and the music flows away with many changes, carrying you from east to west, from Oriental waves to echoes of native American rites... By the way, on this track you can hear for a moment the voice of Yoshiko Kase, a Japanese friend of the band and a passionate prog fan.

Next comes "Senza colori" (Colourless) that depicts in music and words a man on the edge of a deep personal crises who reflects about his past errors. Slowly part of him gets lost in the spiral of time, his memories get blurred and his hopes melt, suffocated by an oppressive reality. The mood is dark, but never say never! Even when his world seems crumbling down his inner will is still pulsing and pushes him to find a balance to repair what's wrong and to look for that kind of madness that's called Truth...

"Il passo" (The step) is another great track that describes a man who's falling down, betrayed by his self confidence and his desire of adventures. He was walking in the mountains, now he can remember nothing but the sound of his steps in the void and the wind blowing around him. He's scared and the night is coming down. Nobody will find him, lost in a solitary ravine, injured, surrounded by the desperate roots of the trees and naked rocks. His rage burns inside his chest as he shouts for the last time... Oh, what a lucky man he was!

"Fino alla vetta" (Up to the mountain top) is about hiking in the Alps and tells in music and words about the spiritual experience of a day spent in touch with beautiful, breathtaking panoramas, far from the daily grind. At dawn you can walk to the top breathing fresh air and listening to the melodic sound of soft rain drops falling on the trees until you get lost under a spell, led by the moon, free from the chains of civilization, in harmony with Mother Nature...

On the dark, nightmarish "Onirica possessione" (Oneiric possession) the music and lyrics describe in a theatrical way a very troubled night. As the veil of darkness comes down you fall asleep in a vortex of obscure thoughts, then your mind begins to fly across scary, bleak landscapes. You're filled with a strong sense of fear and risk to get lost, eternal prisoner of your madness and of your ill dreams. Then you see a creek in a wood and clear water flowing. Maybe there's another reality, you try to go forward to touch the illusion of a life after death while your thoughts fall down like autumn leaves... But soon you realize that your feet are sinking in the quicksand, the burden of your pain makes you heavy, the curtain opens and a crazy, dramatic play begins... In the last section you can hear the suggestive call of a demon and his false promises interpreted by Elisa Montaldo.

"Notturna" (Nocturnal) is a short, dreamy piece where you can fully appreciate Elisa Montaldo lead vocals. Here the music and lyrics depict arcane rites of cosmic harmony under the moon and a myriad of dancing stars, an ethereal celebration in honour of a pagan goddess who speaks of mountains, trees, rocks and of a world where your soul is free to fly high...

The magnificent epic "Il cacciatore" (The Hunter) concludes this excellent work in a perfect way. It's divided into five parts and tells the story of a hunter who gets lost in the forest following the tracks of his pray. He's tired, stranded, injured. Who is the pray now? When he meets a wolf he's almost helpless, ha can't use his bow and arrow anymore. But the wolf is merciful and protects him. At last he repents, he understand that shooting down an innocent life is pointless and cruel. So, he becomes a new man who's finally aware of the importance of living in a perfect balance with Mother Nature... Well, a nice fable and another great track!

On the whole, this is really a wonderful album, full of passionate melodies, mellow symphonic passages and a pinch of melodramma. I think that this is a real must for every prog lover!

Italian band IL TEMPIO DELLE CLESSIDRE was formed in Genoa, Italy, back in 2006, at the time representing an ensemble of young, talented musicians joined by former Museo Rosenbach vocalist Stefano Galifi. Following their 2010 self-titled debut album Galifi decided to leave the band, who subsequently recruited Francesco Ciapica as their new singer. "AlieNatura" is the band's second full-length album, and their first with Ciapica as vocalist. It was released by Black Widow Records in 2013.

Symphonic progressive rock with a distinct vintage sound and quality to it is the chosen style for this Italian band, a style of music they explore with a high degree of excellence throughout. A strong and well made production, and while it does explore musical grounds rather thoroughly explored by other before them, they do in such an excellent manner that the end result is a powerful and compelling one anyhow. A production well worth spending some time with if you have a soft spot for vintage symphonic progressive rock, and in particular if you fancy music of that kind with Italian vocals.

Review Nº 571

ll Tempio Delle Clessidre is an Italian progressive rock band whose style draws the inspiration from the hard and progressive rock of the 70's and seeks to recreate that sound blending it with a typically Italian taste for melody as well as a distinctly modern approach. A great attention was paid to the integration between the music and the lyrics, with articular reference to the emotional sphere, nature and tradition. The band was born in 2006 starting from an idea by the Genoese keyboardist Elisa Montaldo, who contacted Stefano "Lupo" Galifi, the vocalist on the album "Zarathustra" by the Italian prog rock band of the 70's Museo Rosenbach, regarded as a masterpiece of the genre. After completing the line up, the band performed live the entire Museo Rosenbach's album and started writing their compositions. Their first self-titled debut album was released in 2010 and gave to the band an immediate success. In 2013, with the new singer Francesco Ciapica, the band released their second studio album, "AlieNatura". In 2016 Mattias Olsson, drummer of the well known Swedish band Anglagard joined the band. In 2017 the band released their third studio album, "Il-Ludere".

"AlieNatura" is the second studio album of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre and was released in 2013. The line up on the album is Francesco Ciapica (lead and backing vocals), Giulio Canepa (backing vocals, acoustic, classical and electric guitars), Elisa Montaldo (lead and backing vocals, keyboards, piano and ethnic tools), Fabio Gremo (backing vocals, bass guitar and classical guitar) and Paolo Tixi (backing vocals and drums). It had also the presence of Yoshiko Kase (narration).

The core on this album appears to revolve around firm, majestic guitar and organ based themes. They're a constantly recurring feature, and the arrangement of choice for major alterations and just about any of the intense passages that appear. Vintage keyboard textures are liberally applied throughout as well, both as creators of the numerous gentler, atmospheric passages that are another recurring feature on this album. A select few pastoral excursions have found their way into this album as well, although the more powerful and majestic passages are the dominating ones, and fairly often ones with a darker tinge to them at that. The powerful and theatrical vocals of Ciapica fit well in this type of music.

"Kaze (Ciò Che Il Vento Porta Con Sé)" is an instrumental track with Eastern influences when East meets West. It evokes, with its wind noises, the Asian harmonies. It functions as a long, dramatic intro with keyboard flutes and pads, voice samples and a final crash guitar. This is a wonderful way to kick off the album. "Senza Colori" is Ciapica's debut that shows him in a top form. It sounds more like their debut album. It has some intricate guitar riffs by Canepa. Eliza's keyboards are understated and greatly enhance the listening experience. Trough it we can get some synths, Mellotron, piano and acoustic guitar. "Il Passo" is one of the highlights because it brings some of the nicest analog keyboard sounds that have been heard lately. Canepa's soaring guitar solos are outstanding. It's a track that goes through many tempo and melody changes that hold your interest throughout its nine minutes. "Fino Alla Vetta" is a bit cinematic with its acoustic guitar and Mellotron opening. All components of the track are geared towards the voice of Ciapica. This is the first song where I noticed more Tixi's drum work. "Onirica Possessione" is the first epic at just under ten minutes and is clearly divided into a picturesque introduction, a gloomy middle section and a relaxed ending. This is a Gothic beautiful piece. There are barely discernible whispered voices and the song shifts. Eliza contributes with vocals for the first time. "Notturna" is a short three minute song, a quiet and ambient song with Eliza's multi-tracked vocals, piano and birds. It's introduced by a great bass playing of Gremo, while Elisa sings on this harmonically unusual piece. "Il Cacciatore" is divided into five parts: "La Vera Preda", "Volo Di Rapace", "La Lince", "Il Lupo" and "Il Cacciatore". It's the best track on the album. This 15 minute opus incorporates all the elements that makes of Il Tempio Delle Clessidre one of the greatest and best new Italian prog bands with Ciapica's strong vocals, Eliza's keyboards, Canepa's acoustic and electric guitars, Gremo's strong bass lines and Tixi's drums. This is an intelligent way to close this excellent album.

Conclusion: All in all, this is an excellent second release by this young Italian band. This is symphonic progressive rock with a distinct vintage sound, a style of music they explore with a high degree of excellence throughout. A strong and well made production, and while it does explore musical grounds rather thoroughly explored by other before them, they do it in such excellent manner that the end result is a powerful and compelling one anyhow. This is a complete piece of work with a production well worth spending some time with it, even though it's hard for the non-Italian speakers understand the full concept without notes. But, there's so much going on that is a sheer delight from the start to end. If you enjoy classic prog, whatever the form or language, then this is something that you ought to seek out. So, "AlieNatura" is a must have for anyone looking for an Italian symphonic program. It's a powerful and fascinating album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)